U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and several fellow members of Congress urged the Department of Homeland Security to take steps to protect survivors of the human-smuggling tragedy in San Antonio’s Southwest Side, which left 53 dead.
In a letter made public by a tweet from his official Twitter account, the San Antonio Democrat urged Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to “exercise prosecutorial discretion” by not deporting or detaining survivors. He also called for expediting humanitarian visa applications from the 11 individuals who survived the sweltering heat of the abandoned tractor-trailer.
“As the remaining survivors focus on their recovery at San Antonio Hospitals, they should not be worried about their future in the United States,” Castro wrote. Castro previously visited survivors of the incident and stated he would work with Mexican, Guatemalan and Honduran authorities to assist the victims and their families.
Castro also asked Mayorkas to provide humanitarian parole for families of victims, allowing them to collect the bodies of the deceased and visit survivors. Parole allows individuals unable to enter the U.S. to temporarily enter the country for “urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
As of Thursday night, the identities of 52 of the 53 deceased have been “conclusively identified” by the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office. An update on the remaining survivor is expected no later than Monday, according to a news release from the Medical Examiner’s Office.
“The tragedy is a symptom of a broken immigration system, and while we continue to work with you and our colleagues in Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, we hope that you will work tirelessly with us to ensure the protection and security of the survivors and their families,” Castro concluded.
Ricardo.Delgado@express-news.net
Read More: Joaquin Castro to DHS: Don’t deport trailer survivors